Reviews tagging 'Toxic friendship'

The Hunting Party by Lucy Foley

98 reviews

lexithelion's review

adventurous challenging dark emotional mysterious tense fast-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.0

Out of Lucy Foley's 3 murder mysteries, this is definitely my least favourite. However, that is not to say that this is a bad book, because it's not. This book is a great first mystery that combines the difficult inter-workings of friendships and an establishing plot-line that puts all the characters in an abstract and very solitary situation. The book does not drag and the story is incredibly easy to follow; props to Lucy Foley for being able to write a 0% confusing mystery novel that jumps back-and-forth in time and also utilizes multi-perspective chapters. I will say that this book seemed quite fast and the ending was incredibly abrupt which is a pattern I've noticed in Foley's literature. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Stalking, Murder, Alcohol, Blood, Gun violence, Injury/Injury detail, Violence, Animal death, Death, and Toxic friendship

Moderate: Toxic relationship and Gore

Minor: Grief, Drug abuse, Suicide, and Medical content

niallgoulding1's review

fast-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Plot
• Strong character development? No
• Loveable characters? No
• Diverse cast of characters? No
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

2.5

Meh. OK as a holiday read. Ticks all the standard boxes with an interesting setting and a new red herring every chapter. Rattles along at a quick pace.

But in my opinion, while murder mysteries always require some suspension of disbelief, this one was too aggressively dumb not to earn an eyeroll. The killer's ending doesn't make any sense if you spent even 30 seconds researching how the justice system works. The mentally ill = villain trope felt icky and a relic from the past. Also, the writer keeps the identity of the victim a secret until the very end of the novel - I kept expecting that there was a reason for this but the victim was the most obvious, clichéd option so I don't see the point. The answer to the mystery didn't feel earned and wasn't clever. 

Not sure I'd recommend. 

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Content Warnings

Moderate: Stalking, Suicidal thoughts, and Toxic friendship

fiercereadsfiction's review against another edition

challenging dark mysterious tense medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? No
• Loveable characters? No
• Diverse cast of characters? No
• Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated

4.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Alcohol, Toxic friendship, and Toxic relationship

Moderate: Infidelity

Minor: Infertility and Homophobia

jlblumenfeld's review against another edition

dark mysterious tense medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? No
• Loveable characters? No
• Diverse cast of characters? No
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

3.0

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Content Warnings

Moderate: Toxic friendship, Toxic relationship, Murder, War, and Violence

bronzel's review against another edition

dark mysterious medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? No
• Diverse cast of characters? No
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

3.75

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Toxic friendship, Blood, Cursing, Murder, Death, Alcohol, and Violence

Moderate: Infidelity, Stalking, Toxic friendship, Suicidal thoughts, Suicide attempt, Grief, Injury/Injury detail, Mental illness, Drug use, and Gun violence

Minor: Addiction, Body shaming, Bullying, Animal death, Sexual content, Fatphobia, and Pregnancy

mamaofperfectpayton's review against another edition

dark mysterious tense medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? It's complicated
• Loveable characters? No
• Diverse cast of characters? No
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

2.75

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Vomit, Blood, Death, Infidelity, Alcohol, Animal death, Pregnancy, Toxic friendship, Bullying, and Toxic relationship

jodierose14's review

mysterious tense medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? No
• Loveable characters? No
• Diverse cast of characters? No
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

3.5

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Toxic relationship, Blood, Toxic friendship, and Murder

thebelovedreadingnook's review

challenging dark tense slow-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? No
• Loveable characters? No
• Diverse cast of characters? No
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

1.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Murder, Infertility, Alcohol, Toxic relationship, Drug use, Stalking, Sexual assault, Infidelity, and Toxic friendship

Moderate: Outing

natgoe's review against another edition

adventurous dark mysterious medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? No
• Diverse cast of characters? No
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Sexual content, Murder, Violence, Toxic friendship, Blood, Drug use, Gore, Stalking, Alcohol, Infidelity, Mental illness, Infertility, and Grief

jessiejonesbentley's review against another edition

dark emotional mysterious tense fast-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? It's complicated
• Loveable characters? No
• Diverse cast of characters? No
• Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated

3.0

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Content Warnings

Moderate: Alcohol, Alcoholism, Mental illness, Sexual content, Gaslighting, Infertility, Toxic relationship, Emotional abuse, Toxic friendship, Violence, Body shaming, Bullying, Classism, Death, Drug use, Fatphobia, Infidelity, Medical trauma, Murder, Stalking, and Pregnancy